Clothes drier



ay 24, 1938. J. E. CHESTNUTT 29M CLOTHES DRIER Filed Oat. 25, 1955 2 ets-Sheet 1 e/bhil E U/Zeat NVENTOR ORNEYS ay 24, 1938. J. E. CHESTNUTTzvmgvmfi' CLOTHES DRI-ER Filed Oct 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jami:aimzmzz ATTORNEYS Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a clothes drier of thecharacter generally used by cleaners, so that the dress or other garmentmay be mounted on the same with facility and the drying operationstarted and concluded by the operator in the minimum of time; to providea clothes drier in which the dress or garment, when being subjected tothe drying operation, is under tension, so that when stretching ordrying there will be small opportunity for the formation of wrinkles,thus making the pressing operation comparatively simple; to provide aclothes drier so arranged as to support a dress or garment in a mannerto preclude the quick escape of air, or the escape of steam when it isadmitted under the conditions under which steam is usually employed; andto provide a clothes drier which, for the functions of which it issusceptible, is of comparatively simple form and therefore of acharacter to permit comparatively cheap manufacture.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction andcombination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view.

30 Figure 4 is asectional view onthe plane indicated by the line 4-4 ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view showing the mounting for the rearclamp member and the actuating spring for such member.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the rear clamp actuating pedaland its attendant parts.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the front clamp actuating pedal.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the steam admission valveactuating pedal.

The garment on which the drying operation is to be carried out issuspended in open position above the elbow drum 56 which is supported inan appropriate skeleton frame I I made from appropriate metal bars. Thedrum is disposed with Y ted lines in Figures 1 and 2- is'suspended withits lower end in embracing relation to the upper extremity or dischargeend of the drum where the latter is formed with appropriate rubberbinding it in contact with which the dress or garment is held by meansof the complemental clamp members ll and I8. The clamp members H and K8are in the form of arcuate yokes adapted to embrace the drum forsubstantially half its periphery and are in the form of rods, rubbercovered as indicated at l8a, so as to prevent metallic contact with thegarment and also so as to provide asnear an airtight connection aspossible between the garment and the drum.

The clamp members H and i8 may be actuated independently to and fromclamping position, or simultaneously actuated, the one being operativelyconnected with a pedal l9 and the other operatively connected with apedal 20. The pedals i9 and 2d are disposed adjacent to each other sothat the foot of an operator may be placed on both and the twosimultaneously depressed, or either one or the other depressed,depending on whether it is desired to release the forward clamp H or therear clamp IS.

The clamp I! is rigidly connected with the extremity of the resistancearm of a lever 2| which is pivoted between cars 22 on the drum It. Theforce arm of the lever has a link connection 23' with the pedal l9. Thenormal position of the clamp is against the drum and to this end thereare provided the springs 24 which are compressed between the face of thedrum and ears 25 formed on the resistance arm of the lever 2!. Thesprings are disposed one on each side of the lever and being compressionsprings, their tendency is to force the force arm of the lever awayfromv the drum and the resistance arm and the clamp member ll towardsthe drum. Depression of the pedal l9 will'result in forcing the forcearm toward the drum and therefore in Withdrawing the clamp member I!away from the drum, as when it is desired to release a garment or inpreparation to attach one.

Spaced guide ears 25 are mounted on the face of the drum to insuredirectly the clamp member I! to its proper seat on the drum in theclamping operation.

While the opening and closing movements of the clamp H are effected byswinging motion, the corresponding movements of the clamp member I8 areeffected by a reciprocal motion, since the clamp member I8 is connectedto an angular stem 26 of which the horizontal portion 27 is slidablymounted in the spring barrel 28 within which it is surrounded by acompression spring 29 compressed between a collar 30 on the stem and aremovable plug 3| which closes the barrel. The tendency of the spring isto force the clamp member into clamping position and the verticalportion of the stem, in the opening and closing movements, traverses aslot in a guide plate 32 mounted on the spring barrel.

The pedal 20 is operatively connected with the clamp member l8 and tothis end there are provided bearings 33 which carry the shaft 34, thelatter at an intermediate point carrying an arm 35 and at the extremitycarrying an arm 36. The arm 35 is formed with spaced parallel ears 38which straddle the vertical portion of the stem 26. A link 39 connectsthe arm 36 with the extremity of the resistance arm of a lever 40, whoseforce arm is connected with the pedal 20 by a link 4|.

When the pedal is depressed, the lever 40 is rocked with the result thatthere is a downward pull on the link 39 and the extremity of the arm 36which imparts a swinging movement to the bar 31, which engages the stem26, forcing it back against the pressure of the spring 29 and retractingthe clamp member l8.

The motor 13 is appropriately supported on the frame II and the latteralso carries the tubular standard 42 which terminates in the horizontalhanger arm 43, the latter being provided with pulleys 44, over which acable 45 is trained, the latter being anchored to a reel 46 to whichrotation is imparted manually by the arms 41, any adjusted position ofthe reel being retained by the friction imposed by the pressure spring48.

The cable 45 is terminally connected to a hollow hanger 49, the hangerbeing preferably made of sheet metal and being cross-sectional U-shapedwith the under edges turned in toward each other as indicated at 50. Theconnection between the cable and hanger includes an eye bolt 5|surrounded by a compression spring 52, so that there may be relativemovement between the eye and the hanger which will provide for takingupany expansion of the garment in drying. Turning in the edges of thehanger, as indicated at 50, provides for air entering between the hangerand the garment which will make for quicker drying of the latter. Theparticular form of hanger is useful in that it closes the neck openingin the garment and precludes the too free escape of air in the dryingoperation.

The reel 46 is appropriately mounted on the standard 42 by the J bolts53 and may, by reason of this form of mounting, be positioned at anyconvenient point on the standard.

For the purpose of admitting steam to a garment supported on the drierto remove the wrinkles from such garment there are provided the steampipes 54 on opposite sides of the motor which terminate in steam nozzles55 directly behind the fan. The two pipes 54 are coupled together at 56,so that steam to them may be controlled by the valve 51 which may beconnected with the source of steam supply by means of a coupling 58. Thevalve is retained normally in closed position and moved to open positionby an upward movement departed to the dependent stem 59, the lowerextremity of which rests on one arm of a bell crank lever 60 fulcrumedas at 6| on the frame H. The remaining arm of the lever 60 is connectedby means of a slide rod 62 and a link 63 with the pedal 64, the latterbeing pivotally mounted on the frame II and positioned at the front ofthe frame, parallel with but spaced from the pedals l9 and 20.

A spring 68 applies a pull on the rod 62 to hold the pedal 64 elevatedand depress the lever arm 60 to a point where it will apply no pressureon the stem 59 of the valve 51.

To provide for convenient control of the motor, a switch 65 is mountedon the elbow drum at the front of the drier and on the drum below theclamp member l1, there are carried the clothes pins 66 which aresuspended from springs 61. These pins are employed in cases where theperimeter of the lower edge of the garment being dried is less than theperimeter of the drum. In such instances, the rear clamp will beemployed to clamp a portion of the lower edge of the garment to thedrum, after which the remaining edge which will not pass over the drum,will be engaged by the clothes pins which, by reason of their springhangers, will create a pull on the lower edge of the garment. Of course,under such instances, part of the air will pass out of the drum withoutpassing through the garment but there will be sufiicient air driventhrough the garment to effect drying of the same. Clothes pins will beemployed only in cases where the garment at the lower edge is too smallto be slipped over the discharge end of the drum.

In the operation of the invention, the garment will be mounted on thehanger 49 which will close the neck opening thereof. The hanger willthen be lowered by unreeling the cable 45 until the lower edge of thegarment will hang over the discharge end of the drum. The depression ofthe pedal 20 will then retract the clamp member l8, so that the rearedge of the garment may be inserted between it and the drum. Then theremainder of the lower edge of the garment may be clamped to the drumafter the depression of the pedal l9 which will retract the clamp memberI1. After the garment has been secured in place by the clamp members I!and I8, a tension will be applied by winding the cable on the drum. .;1

Then the motor will be started by closing the switch 65, when air willbe driven through the drum and into the garment. If this dryingoperation leaves any wrinkles in the garment steam may be admitted byopening the valve 57 by def pression of the pedal 64, when the dryingoperation may be continued after closure of the valve 51 by release ofthe pedal 64.

The spring mounting of the hanger 49 provides for maintaining thetension on the garment as it stretches in the drying operation.

After drying the garment may be released by the simultaneous depressionof the pedals l9 and 20 which will release both the clamp members l1 andI8. Then the garment may be removed from the hanger 49 and the pressingop eration proceeded with.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

l. A clothes drier comprising an elbow drum having a discharge endarranged with its axis vertical, a blower positioned at the intake endof the drum, complemental clamp members embracing the drum at thedischarge end for securing the lower end of a garment to the drum, a

hollow hanger for insertion in the garment to support the upper end ofthe latter, the hanger being made of sheet metal and being crosssectionally of inverted U-shape with the under edges inturned towardeach other, the hanger closing the neck opening of the garment, andsuspension means for the hanger.

2. A clothes drier comprising an elbow drum having a discharge endarranged with its axis vertical, a blower positioned at the intake endof the drum, complemental clamp members arranged to jointly embrace thedrum at the discharge end and disposed respectively around the rear andforward halves of the circumference thereof for securing the lower endof a garment to the drum, an angular stem supporting the rear clampingmember at its center, a spring barrel in which the stem is mounted, aspring enclosed by said barrel and compressed between one end of thelatter and an abutment on the stem, a rock shaft below and having itsaxis at right angles to the axis of the stem, an arm carried by the rockshaft and bearing upon the angular portion of the stem to move thelatter against the pressure of the spring, a treadle operativelyconnected with the shaft to efiect actuation of the latter in oppositionto the spring so as to retract the rear clamp, and a pedal operativelyconnected to the forward clamping member for withdrawing it fromengagement with the drum, the forward clamping member being providedwith a spring impelling it toward the drum.

JOHN E. CHESTNUTT.

